BY BECCA JOHNSON JANUARY 15, 2024
Back in 2021, audiences were pleasantly surprised with book-to-movie adaptation The Hating Game. The actors had chemistry, it stayed fairly true to the novel and had fun with it's cheesy premise. This year, director Peter Hutchings is back again, with another rom-com novel adaptation starring Lucy Hale as the leading lady. This time around, she is starring opposite Natt Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars), in an adaptation originally novelised by Julianna Baggott and Steve Almond. Shoddy title aside, Which Brings Me to You has great chemistry from it's two leads, and the '24 hour romance' gimmick is used effectively. It may not have the most memorable script, it certainly lacks comedy and it's characters aren't as fleshed out as the movie thinks they are, but it does provide a lot of fun.
SYNOPSIS
Two romantic burnouts meet at a wedding and almost hook up in the coatroom before putting the brakes on. They agree to exchange candid confessions about their pasts on the off chance that this might be the real thing.
REVIEW
Lucy Hale is a talented actress, yet many will agree that she has a very questionable filmography overall. Which Brings Me to You once again proves that she works best in the romance genre, as she is completely magnetic. Her performance here is great, creating a compelling lead who is entertaining to follow – the role fits her like a glove. Hale elevates the script and shows great emotion throughout. Wolff is also good, and it's fun to see him in the genre again after impressing previously in the likes of The Fault in Our Stars, Stuck in Love (2012) and Palo Alto (2013). The pair have excellent, believable chemistry, and it's enjoyable seeing them work together – they are worth rooting for based on performances alone. The supporting cast features talent including John Gallagher Jr. (Short Term 12), Britne Oldford (Free Guy) and Genevieve Angelson (The Upside), who all manage to deliver despite minimal screen-time. Their performances are a vessel for the movie to include more impact and emotion, and they certain help that along.
Setting a romance over just one day is something we've seen time and time again, especially in the romance genre – from the classic Before Sunrise (1995) to The Sun is Also a Star (2019), it is an idea that film-makers and authors often come back to. Luckily for the team behind Which Brings Me to You, it works well with the story being told here. It cleverly utilises flashbacks to show us the past relationships of our characters as they are narrating their stories. Not only does this keep things interesting, but it allows for some excellent side performances to shine, and puts us in the shoes of the characters to give the audience a more thorough understanding. The script is largely based on main characters Jane and Will telling each other about past relationships, which could've easily been dull, but the flashbacks stop this from becoming a bore and provide a decent amount of insight. At just 98 minutes, the run-time moves along pretty quickly, and despite not being the most exciting romance to see blossom, it's entertaining enough.
Unfortunately, the script struggles to handle the characters at times. Despite giving us a glimpse into their past relationships and breakups to help give more context to their characters, we don't really get to know them outside of this. By only exploring our leads in the context of a relationship (or miserable break-up), we don't really get to know them as individuals. All the movie tries to tell us throughout the entire run-time is that they're unlucky in love and self-confessed 'messes' – it manages this within the first act. What comes along from then until the credits roll, becomes a bit samey, especially when we already knew what the outcome of these two characters would be before we even pressed play. The script also falters in a wider context, outside of just the characters; it's heavy on the rom, but unfortunately skips out on the com. There's not really any laughs to be had here, and most attempts fizzle out. It's rather tonally imbalanced in places, meaning that when it tries to pack a punch (as it does in the latter half), it slightly misses the mark. It's at it's best when it's having fun, as it's so underdeveloped and rushed that when it's going for the heartstrings, the characters often accidentally come off as heartless douches.
It's hard to fault a movie that does exactly what it says on the tin. Which Brings Me to You provides what is expected, and can luckily boast strong performances, believable chemistry and a breezy run-time. For fans of the genre or those who fancy an easy watch, especially on date night, it's a good option. It won't be very memorable due to it's tonal inconsistency, rushing of it's important scenes and failing to flesh out it's leads enough – that being said, it's certainly passable.
STAR RATING
